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20 August 2018

A Learning Disabilities Nurse from Avon and Wiltshire Mental
Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust has been shortlisted for a
national award for developing an app which helps teach people how
to identify sugar levels in different foods.

Registered Learning Disability Nurse (RNLD), Adam Bennett, who
works at Callington Road Hospital, in Bristol, is one of the
finalists for the Nursing Times Awards 2018 Nurse of the Year
award, after creating an app which is designed to give people with
learning disabilities a simple, fun and interactive way to learn
about sugar levels in food and healthier alternatives.

Diabetes is up to four times more prevalent in people with
learning disabilities and nutritional information on packaging can
often be complicated and presented in ways which can be difficult
to understand.
Sugar Choice, which has been created for Android phones and
tablets, has been developed in line with national Accessible
Information Standards outlined by NHS England. The free touch
screen app presents images of two foods simultaneously and asks the
user to tap on whichever they think has the least amount of sugar
present, challenging perceptions of everyday foods and teaching
users about how to make healthier decisions by direct
comparison.

Speaking about the nomination, Adam said: "I am delighted to
have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award. Not only does
the nomination recognise the work which has gone into developing
the app, it also demonstrates the level of importance placed on
supporting good health and reducing sugar consumption, particularly
in people who have learning disabilities. We know that diabetes is
a huge drain on the NHS and this is a simple way to help people
reduce the amount of sugar they consume in a fun and accessible
way."

Part of Public Health England's central campaigns strategy is to
educate and encourage the public to eat a balanced and healthy
diet, which is especially important for people at risk of type-2
diabetes. Sugar Choice, whilst designed to suit the needs of those
with learning disabilities, is a fun and useful tool for anyone
wanting to educate themselves and make informed decisions with
regards to their diet.

For his work on Sugar Choice Adam has been nominated and
shortlisted for this year's Nursing Times Award 2018 for 'Nurse of
the Year' in the 'Learning Disability Nurse' category. He will
attend the award ceremony in October.

The app works on any Android phone or tablet and can be
downloaded free from Google's Play Store, with a compatible version
for iPhones and iPad being developed.
Link to download page: www.sugarfreeapps.co.uk

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